US disables two Iranian oil tankers near Strait of Hormuz, awaits Tehran response on peace plan

The U.S. military on Friday struck and disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, preventing them from reaching an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. U.S. Central Command commander Brad Cooper said in a written statement that "U.S. forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran."

The attacks are the latest in a series of escalating naval confrontations between the two countries. On Thursday, U.S. forces disabled two more Iranian tankers, and Iran seized a tanker and announced a Strait of Hormuz toll authority. On May 6, U.S. forces attacked an Iran-flagged tanker attempting to breach the blockade, and on May 2, President Donald Trump boasted the U.S. Navy acts "like pirates" in the blockade while Iran warned war was "likely."

Despite the ongoing exchanges of fire, Trump maintains a monthlong ceasefire is "still in effect." The administration is awaiting Tehran's response to the latest U.S. peace proposals. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Friday: "We're expecting a response from them today at some point." He added: "I hope it's a serious offer, I really do. … The hope is it's something that can put us into a serious process of negotiation."

Trump has warned the U.S. would "knock [Iran] out a lot harder, and a lot more violently" if Tehran does not accept a peace deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday accused the U.S. of opting for a "reckless military adventure" every time a "diplomatic solution is on the table." In a post on X, he asked: "Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire?" He concluded: "Whatever the causes, outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure."